Controlling iCUE LINK Fans vs. Legacy Fans in CORSAIR iCUE

CORSAIR iCUE provides granular control over the cooling performance of your system fans either through an iCUE-compatible fan controller connecting multiple PWM fans or a chain of cooling devices (including fans) within the iCUE LINK ecosystem.

Many system builders have become accustomed to the legacy fan setup involving separate RGB and PWM cables coming from each fan. Within the CORSAIR ecosystem, an iCUE-compatible controller like the COMMANDER CORE XT offers ports to manage both the PWM and RGB signals going to each fan.

iCUE LINK fans do not rely on a traditional controller with separate PWM and RGB outputs, but rather a System Hub using only a single connector type, simplifying the number of cables necessary to control both fan lighting and performance.

With a standard cooling setup utilizing CORSAIR PWM fans connected to a single iCUE-compatible cooler or fan and lighting controller, all your connected fans are managed through the host controller within the iCUE interface.

With iCUE LINK components, each device type is displayed along with your other iCUE-compatible components and peripherals, rather than being nested under a menu for your cooler or fan controller.

Cooling presets work the same across legacy fan controllers and iCUE LINK devices, with a number of basic presets that adjust fan and pump speeds based on your system’s CPU temperature or the option to create a custom preset linked to the temperature readout from a sensor of your choosing.

Standard CORSAIR PWM RGB fans connected through an iCUE-compatible controller such as a COMMANDER CORE XT, must be configured using Lighting Setup in order for the LEDs on the fans to be properly addressed. The COMMANDER CORE XT offers an autodetect function to determine what type of fan is connected to a specific RGB port on the controller or you may also manually select the fan type.

iCUE LINK RGB fans connected through an iCUE LINK System Hub will automatically report their fan type to iCUE, letting you quickly move on to setting up your favorite lighting effects.

Once connected to your system (either through iCUE LINK or a compatible iCUE controller) and configured in iCUE, any CORSAIR RGB fan can take advantage of a wide variety of lighting effects through preset, custom, or advanced system-wide lighting powered by iCUE Murals.